My throat tightens up.What am I supposed to do now?
Now more than ever, I miss Viktoria. I miss her teasing jabs and her wicked pinches. I miss the way she made tea for me. But above all else, I miss her advice and her ability to handle Pavel where I can’t. So much is happening in this world that I still don’t fully understand, and I feel so utterly alone.
I swivel toward the door.But maybe Karina can help.
As soon as I’ve made up my mind, my phone rings. I dart toward it and answer the call the moment I see Berkowitz’s name. “What’s happened?”
A din of activity explodes in the background. Disembodied voices bark commands. The click of handcuffs floats through the phone. I can’t help the smile on my face.Sounds like victory.
“My team has her,” Berkowitz reports. “They just took her into their protection. Can you meet them ASAP?”
Thank God!I drop to the bed. “Yes. Yes, we’ll be on our way.”
“How are you feeling, Liya?”
I sigh. “Better. It’s nice to speak freely instead of in code.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Let me know when you’re almost here. I’ll text you the address. Good work, Liya. We couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you. Now the hard work begins.”
“No, Mr. Berkowitz,” I answer. “Thank you.”
A few seconds later, Berkowitz texts me an address. It’s a church in Lower Manhattan. I race from the bedroom and dart downstairs, locating Pavel in his office. I hold up the phone for Pavel to see.My triumph. My victory.
“They have Zoya! She’s at a church waiting for us to pick her up!”
He springs from his chair and grabs his blazer. “Stepan!Idi suda!”
Chaos erupts as we head for the door. Pavel informs Kostya to hold down the fort while Stepan drives us to the church. Instinctively, my hand rests on the seat between Pavel and me. My body tingles with anticipation as Stepan starts the vehicle. I wait for Pavel’s hand. I wait for that sensation to wash through me whenever our skin makes contact, that electrifying force that unites us.
But it never comes.
Defeat forces me to close my eyes. Why would he hold my hand? I made my position clear. And he did the same. If he wants to touch me, he doesn’t show it. And maybe that’s for the best.
I retract my hand into my lap. “Stepan, how long will it take?”
He taps the GPS on the dash and then turns to me. “Forty-five minutes, Liya Frankovna.”
“Can you cut that time down?”
“That’s forty-five minutes with me speeding. I don’t think your friend’s offer extends to me.”
I nod. “Sorry. Thank you.”
“Konechno. Buckle up.”
I adjust my seat belt. I don’t look forward to a road trip with my soon-to-be-ex-husband fuming quietly next to me or his driver observing us secretly every five minutes to see if we’ve bitten each other’s heads off yet.
I massage my knuckles.He probably knows everything. My cheeks burn with embarrassment.Why wouldn’t he? Heseeseverything.
Twenty minutes later, we’re on the road leading to the church. Nothing but the whirl of the tires breaks through the silence. I look at Pavel. He’s staring out the window with a pensive expression. Usually he’s chiseled like marble. But right now, he’s more expressive than I’ve ever seen him.
I gulp.For Zoya.
Turning away hurts, but so does looking at him. I have no choice in the matter. This wild goose chase is nearly over. I have to face the heat eventually. Might as well face it now. My phone pings a few times, shaking me out of my thoughts. I mindlessly lift it and frown at the flurry of texts from Berkowitz.
What I see sends a chill through my body. The words lash me to my core, drying out my throat and forcing my heart to pump into overdrive.
“No…”